Stop the Energy Drainers that are Painting You into a Corner

When your energy level feels like you have been in a maze with no visible means of escape and you find yourself making needless mistakes, forgetting to put the trash out, where you put keys, or missing an important appointment, it’s time to stop the energy drainers in their tracks.

Feeling constantly exhausted, confused, distracted and just plain out of sorts is a formula for burnout and leads to worry, fear and despair. Yet, every day, many women experience this feeling with no relief in sight.

According to a study done by the American College of Physicians, in the United States, 24% of the general adult population has had fatigue lasting 2 weeks or longer; 59%-64% of these persons report that their fatigue has no medical cause.

I suspect these numbers would be a lot higher if this study focused on the percentage of adult women who experience unrecognized chronic fatigue.

Let’s take a look at some of the known energy drainers and what you can do about them:

Rushing – When you move at lightening speed trying to do and give more and more of your energy, you are prone to make mistakes. Rushing simply wastes bucket loads of energy unnecessarily. When you rush, you forget things, skip meals, and are more likely to be distracted and ultimately even more rushed. Slow down, take a few deep breaths and reassess the situation. It will be there when you return more focused and able to move at a slower pace.

Lack of a system – You don’t have to store every detail, appointment, or to-do-list item in your memory bank. A simple time management system will help you to stay on track and nudge you to recall the things you need to do. You can easily become frustrated trying to recall the items you need from the grocery store, the kids schedules and your commitments. Without an easy to use system, you’re chipping away at the mental energy you could use elsewhere to create a greater impact on your life. Use an electronic calendar on your cell phone, other device or a paper scheduler to stay on top of things.

Meeting everyone’s needs before your own. It takes a lot of energy to take care of your loved ones and while taking care of loved ones provides a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, it also requires valuable energy. In worse cases, it can even breed resentment – another huge source of energy drain. Carve out some “me time” and learn that taking care of YOU is your highest priority if you want to continue giving lovingly to others.

Painting yourself into a corner. Making promises you are unable to keep, taking on that extra assignment at work and holding down a part time job may feel like you have no way out and are painting yourself into a corner. You do have a choice. Make only promises and commitments you are able to keep and always have an exit strategy if needed.

People Pleasing – Always ready to lend a hand? Great! But, when your overzealousness to please overrides your overall sense of value, worth, goodness and deservedness, then it crosses over into people pleasing. There’s nothing wrong with helping other people, but it’s another thing when your helping is done out of a sense of obligation, guilt or “have to”. Learn to say no to the things that cause you stress or discomfort. You will be relieved from the weight of over-scheduling, guilt, and irritation. Use your power of choice to free up your time and energy to do things that are joyful, fun and add meaning to your life.

Gladys Anderson, founder of Coach for YOUR Dreams, is a certified life coach, licensed marriage and family therapist, writer and speaker. Gladys combines years of experience, training and a genuine commitment to helping nurses, teachers, therapists and other care giving women to set limits so they have more time, and energy to devote to self-care